A top US general has described the Taliban as a “ruthless group” and says it is unclear whether they will change.
General Mike Milley said, however, it was “possible” that the US would co-ordinate with the Islamist militants on future counter-terrorism operations.
US forces withdrew from Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending America’s longest war 20 years after launching an invasion to oust the Taliban.
The Islamists are now in control and expected to announce a new government.
General Milley was speaking alongside US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in their first public remarks since the last troops left Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden has been widely criticised over the abrupt manner of the withdrawal, which led to the unexpected collapse of the Afghan security forces the US had trained and funded for years.
The Taliban’s lightning advance sparked off a frenetic effort to evacuate thousands of foreign nationals and local Afghans who had been working for them.
In the news conference on Wednesday, both General Milley ad Secretary Austin praised the troops who had served in Afghanistan and the massive evacuation mission.
“We were working with the Taliban on a very narrow set of issues, and that was just that – to get as many people out as we possibly could,” said Milley when asked about their co-ordination with the Taliban in getting evacuees to the airport.
“In war you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do,” added General Milley.
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